Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a long-term condition of the lungs where the flow of air to the lungs is restricted (obstructed). Symptoms include cough and breathlessness. The condition is most often caused by smoking and the most important treatment is to stop smoking. Inhalers are commonly used to ease symptoms. Other treatments such as steroids, antibiotics, oxygen, and mucus-thinning (mucolytic) medicines are sometimes prescribed in more severe cases, or during a flare-up (exacerbation) of symptoms.

What causes COPD?
Smoking is by far the biggest risk factor for COPD. The lining of the airways becomes inflamed and damaged by smoking. Cigarette smoking is the biggest risk factor.

Air pollution may cause some cases of COPD, or make the disease worse. Air pollution can be indoor air pollution or outdoor air pollution. Indoor air pollution seems to be involved in more cases of COPD than outdoor air pollution. Indoor air pollution includes fumes from indoor fires or stoves, and dust, fumes or chemicals present in some workplaces. The combined effect of exposure at work to air pollutants and smoking increases the chances of developing COPD.

A small number of people have a hereditary (genetic) risk of COPD due to very rare protein deficiencies that can lead to lung, liver and blood disorders. (The condition is called alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency. Less than 1 in 100 cases of COPD are due to this.


COPD symptoms-


Cough is usually the first symptom to develop. It is produced with phlegm (sputum). It tends to come and go at first, and then gradually becomes more persistent (chronic). You may think of your cough as a 'smokers cough' in the early stages of the disease. It is when the breathlessness begins that people often become concerned.
Breathlessness (shortness of breath) and wheeze may occur only when you exert yourself at first. For example, when you climb the stairs. These symptoms tend to become gradually worse over the years if you continue to smoke. Difficulty with breathing may eventually become quite distressing.

Sputum - the damaged airways make a lot more mucus than normal. This forms sputum. You tend to cough up a lot of sputum each day.

Chest infections are more common if you have COPD. A sudden worsening of symptoms (such as when you have an infection) is called an exacerbation. Wheezing with cough and breathlessness may become worse than usual if you have a chest infection and you may cough more sputum. Sputum usually turns yellow or green during a chest infection. Chest infections can be caused by germs called bacteria or viruses. 
Other symptoms of COPD can be vaguer. Examples are weight loss, tiredness and ankle swelling.

What is the difference between COPD and asthma?


COPD and asthma cause similar symptoms - in particular difficulty breathing (breathlessness). However, they are completely different diseases. Briefly:

In COPD there is permanent damage to the airways. The narrowed airways are fixed, and so symptoms are persistent (chronic). Treatment to open up the airways is therefore limited.

In asthma, there is inflammation in the airways which makes the muscles in the airways narrow (constrict). This is temporary so the narrowing comes and goes. So, the symptoms tend to come and go, and vary in severity from time to time. Treatment to reduce inflammation and to open up the airways usually works well.

COPD is more likely than asthma to cause an ongoing cough with phlegm (sputum).

Waking at night with breathlessness or wheeze is common in asthma and uncommon in COPD.

COPD is rare before the age of 35, whilst asthma is common in under-35s.

There is more likely to be a history of asthma, allergies, eczema and hay fever (so-called atopy) in people with asthma.

Do I need any tests?

The most common test used in helping to diagnose the condition is called spirometry. This is a breathing test. You will be asked to breathe or blow into a small machine called a spirometer which will measure how well your lungs are working. This test can help make a diagnosis of COPD.


A chest X-Ray show signs of COPD and can be used to help exclude other serious conditions (including lung cancer). Occasionally, a special CT scan of the chest - high-resolution CT - is needed. A blood test to make sure you are not anemic is often helpful.

A pulse oximeter is a device which can be clipped on to your finger. It measures your heart rate (pulse) and the amount of oxygen in your circulation (oxygen saturation). Lower levels than normal tend to be found in people who have COPD, especially if you have a flare-up (exacerbation) of your symptoms.

COPD treatment-

Smoking cessation is the most important step towards treatment.
Inhalers

The main treatments are medications given in devices called inhalers. The medicine within the inhaler is in a powdered form which you breathe in (inhale). The medicines in standard inhalers reach the lungs better if used with a spacer device. Inhalers include one, two or even three types of medicines. They may include:


A bronchodilator agent - this is a medicine which opens up (dilates) the airways. Some work quickly but don't last very long; others are longer-acting.
A steroid - these reduce the inflammation in the airway, thereby reducing the swelling. This, in turn, adds to the space available for air to pass.
A medicine which helps to dry up the secretions produced by the airways.
Home oxygen
This may help some people with severe symptoms or end-stage COPD. It does not help in all cases. Unfortunately, just because you feel breathless with COPD it does not mean that oxygen will help you. Great care has to be taken with oxygen therapy. Too much oxygen can actually be harmful if you have COPD.
Regular follow up in OPD is an essential part of treatment success.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - Know More About It!

Cough is also known as a sudden reflex in which you have to clear your throat and breathing passage from microbes, irritants, fluids and mucus. You can also call coughing as the rapid expulsion of air from your lungs. Coughing can be both deliberate and involuntary. There are two types of cough which can make you suffer dry or wet. Wet cough is caused due to cold, cold extremities or viral attack. Dry cough is caused due to exposure to pollutants, smoke, environment and also if you have allergy from dust. Cough problems have an effect at your lungs, respiratory tract and immunity system. Ayurvedic treatment is oldest holistic medicine treatment and was developed thousands of years ago in India. Ayurveda promotes good health and can be used effectively for both wet and dry cough.

Ayurvedic remedy for wet cough:
Symptoms for wet cough includes pain in your throat and chest, fatigue and irritability.
1. Using liquorice powder (3 tsp), black peppercorn (1 tsp) and sugary candy (2 tsp) can make an effective natural home remedy. Crush all three ingredients all to form a powder and you should eat half tea spoon of this mixture 4 times a day.
2. Crush a little ginger to make a paste and paste it on a sieve. Extract the ginger juice and add honey (1 tsp). Mix well and heat it till it becomes lukewarm. You should eat 1 tea spoon thrice a day.

Ayurvedic remedy for dry cough:
The causes for dry cough include pneumonia, sinus infections and viral infections in your respiratory tract. Symptoms are fatigue and weak immune system along with an itchy throat.
1. Using almonds, butter and sugar makes for an effective natural Ayurvedic home remedy. Make a paste with 7 almonds (soaked overnight) and add 2 tea spoons of butter and sugar each to the paste. You should mix well and eat it twice every day, at morning and evening.
2. You can also make a paste by mixing small quantity of basil leaves, ginger and honey. Mix well and have 1 tea spoon thrice a day.
3. Take a glass of warm water and add 1 tea spoon each of turmeric powder and carom powder. Mix it well and drink the mixture about two times a day. This is an effective remedy for dry cough.

Ayurvedic Remedies for Cough

Whooping Cough (another name for Pertussis) can be termed as an infection to the respiratory system caused by the bacterium Bordetella Pertussis (B. pertussis). It generally affects infants (below one year of age) and who have not yet been immunized; also kids between 11 to 18 years of age whose immunity graphs are on a downward spiral.

What are the Signs and Symptoms?
Initially, whooping cough produces signs and symptoms that may just seem to overlap with those exhibited during the average cough and cold; mild coughing, sneezing, runny nose, low fever, etc. These persist for about a week or two and then slowly, there is the onset of the dry, irritating cough which again turns to prolonged coughing spells. The child s face may seem flushed with a purple hue. The child may also vomit or make the distinctive whooping sound at the end of one such spell. Breathing difficulty can be another issue.

What is the Diagnosis?
The doctor performs an initial check-up followed by tests of mucus sample from the nose or throat. The mucus is checked for the presence of the Bordetella pertussis bacteria. To make a more thorough diagnosis, a blood test is also advisable.

What is the Treatment?
Hospitalisation might be required in case of acute distress. Respiratory support may also be provided if required. If there is intense dehydration, intravenous (IV) fluids may also be administered. As this disease is on account of a bacterial infection, antibiotics will be needed. But these will just treat the immediate effects and the cough cannot be completely done away with.
What can be the Possible Complications?

The possible immediate complications include:

Brain Damage
Pneumonia
Convulsion
Haemorrhaging in the brain
What can be the Prevention?
Vaccination is needed in order to prevent whooping cough. The vaccines are advised to be administered at the age of two months, four months and six months respectively. The 1st booster dose is to be given at 16 to 18 months age and 2nd booster dose is given on 5 year completion of age. An optional booster may be given at 10 year age.

Whooping Cough in Kids - How It Can Be Treated?

You are out in public, and a person next to you is incessantly coughing. It is natural to be worried if it is bronchitis and the possibility of you getting infected. Read on to know about the condition and if it is really contagious. Bronchial tubes are the airways in the lungs, and when they are inflamed due to an infection or an underlying medical condition, it results in bronchitis. Bronchitis can be acute or chronic and depending on the cause, may or may not be contagious.

Types of bronchitis
Chronic bronchitis occurs when the airways in the lungs get irritated again and again. Though it s a severe health condition that requires medical attention, it is not as contagious as it occurs due to the exposure to certain chemicals, dust, cigarette smoke or smoke from a fire, air pollutants that irritate the lungs.

On the other hand, acute bronchitis that usually lasts for one to three weeks is considered to be contagious because this particular type of bronchitis happens due to the flu or cold viruses. It is the infectious properties of the viruses causing it that makes it contagious.

Transmission
In the case of acute bronchitis, since it is caused mainly due to viral infections when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, the viruses get transmitted to others in the surrounding. Hence it can spread quickly.

Symptoms
Some of the common symptoms of acute bronchitis are a hacking cough, production of excessive mucus, shortness of breath, and feelings of discomfort in the chest. Note that as long as the infection is present, acute bronchitis remains contagious. Once the infection is gone, it is no longer contagious, though, the symptoms, like a persisting cough, may stay for several weeks afterward.

Prevention
Maintaining a healthy hygiene, such as washing hands regularly or keeping the surfaces clean, or using a handkerchief when coughing or sneezing can help in preventing the spread of the infection as well as getting affected with it. Also, taking flu vaccinations and quitting to smoke can also assist in preventing lung infections.

Treatment
For the majority cases of acute bronchitis, the condition is resolved by itself within a few weeks and antibiotics may not be an ideal treatment option if the acute bronchitis is caused by a virus. The most recommended treatment options that can quicken the recovery process are taking rest, opting for prescribed over-the-counter medications, drinking lots of fluids, inhaling the steam of hot water, whether from the shower or a bowl of hot water.

People who have asthma or chronic bronchitis sometimes may develop acute bronchitis as a result of further complications of their present lung conditions and not as a result of virus invasion. Therefore, the chances of such acute bronchitis being contagious are less than those caused by influenza viruses or bacteria.

Thus, acute bronchitis due to a viral infection is more contagious than chronic bronchitis that is due to an underlying medical condition like asthma and other lung diseases. With a few simple and effective measures, such contagious infections can be prevented.

Bronchitis - Can It Be Contagious?

A respiratory disorder, the inflammation of the lining in the bronchial tubes, which are responsible for carrying air to and from your lungs is known as bronchitis. Allergic bronchitis is a disorder that develops, if you have severe allergies which result in a bronchial immune system reaction.

Allergic Bronchitis requires medical diagnosis by your healthcare provider who can differentiate the allergic form of bronchitis from the normal form of bronchitis by searching for other symptoms related to the allergy. Allergic bronchitis often occurs due to seasonal allergies, making it an acute condition. If you are suffering from lingering bronchitis issues caused due to allergies, an allergy test is recommended so that the doctor can accurately assess the condition.

The symptoms of allergic bronchitis are similar to the regular form bronchitis. Only difference is that the symptoms are triggered by allergies. Some of the symptoms are given below:

Cough which may form mucus

Body aches and breathlessness

Headaches, blocked nose and sinuses

Fever with chills

Wheezing

Over the years, Ayurvedic practitioners have prepared and prescribed a number of remedies that can address the issue of allergic bronchitis.

Some of the Ayurvedic remedies are listed below:

Below listed remedies should be taken 3 times in a day for quick relief.

2 grams of Shringyadi Churna should be taken along with 100 mg of Kaphachintamani and Kaphaketu.

Talisadi churna should be mixed with honey and ginger juice.

2 grams of Sitopaladi Churna should be mixed with 200 mg of Praval Pisthi as well as 100 mg of Rasa Sindur.

Haridra khand (one spoon) should be taken along with a cup of warm milk.

Other natural remedies, according to Ayurveda include:

Haldi (turmeric powder) mixed with a glass of milk

Juice of Vasa

Tulsi (Basil leaves ground to make a juice)

Equal quantity of black pepper, dried ginger and long pepper (piper longum) mixed with honey

Ayurvedic Treatment for Allergic Bronchitis - Ayurvedic Remedies

Upper respiratory infection (URI) is a condition, which involves illness, mainly caused by critical infection in the upper respiratory tract. This region includes the pharynx, larynx, nose and sinus. This infection causes diseases, such as tonsillitis (tonsils get inflamed), pharyngitis (causes sore throat) sinusitis (nasal passage becomes inflamed), laryngitis (voice box in your throat gets inflamed) and common cold.

Causes of upper respiratory infection (URI):
1. Both virus and bacteria cause upper respiratory infection (URI). The most common form of virus causing this infection is known as 'rhinovirus.'

2. The immune system of young adults and children are often very vulnerable. Hence, they are more likely to develop upper respiratory tract infection.

3. URI is also contagious and airborne in nature. So if a person comes in contact with an infected person suffering from URI, he/she is likely to develop this infection.

4. Not washing hands before meals can also cause upper respiratory infection because the virus can be transferred easily to the mouth and can travel into your system.

5. If you have any lung problem or heart disease, you are more likely to be susceptible to upper respiratory infection.

6. Those who already have inflamed tonsils can trigger tonsillitis by drinking any cold or spicy beverage like ice-creams or cold milkshakes.

7. Exposure to some flu or cold can cause pharyngitis. It can also be caused by second hand smoking.

8. Birth defects or structural defects in the nasal cavity or nasal polyps can cause sinusitis. Sometimes the inside part of the nose may get swollen due to common cold and block your ducts. This is a common cause for sinusitis.

Symptoms of acute upper respiratory infection:
1. Congestion in the lungs or nasal area.
2. Whooping cough
3. Running nose due to common cold.
4. Feelings of fatigue and lethargy throughout the day.
5. Your body will start aching without engaging in any physical exercise.
6. You can also lose consciousness in severe respiratory tract infections.
7. Difficulty in breathing.
8. Oxygen levels in blood drop down drastically.

Sometimes in worse cases, acute upper respiratory tract infection (URI) can also cause respiratory failure, respiratory arrest and congestive heart failure. Therefore, it is necessary to book an appointment with a doctor as soon as you start experiencing the above symptoms.

Acute Upper Respiratory Infection: Causes and Symptoms

Don't wait any longer, manage your Thoracic (Chest) Surgeon online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Thoracic (Chest) Surgeon - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES